It's a short one, but worth the read



Puppy #975

This week's intake: OMG those are some cute puppies this week! (Yes, I know, all puppies are cute. But these are REALLY cute!) I've been swamped with emails about these pups. I think it will be quite a busy day tomorrow. We have 6 babies whose mom was a Great Pyrenees but they look more St. Bernard. They are pretty small though so I'm not sure if there's a smaller mix in the pool too. We're getting two returns this week. That's a lot and not at all usual. # 938-968 was adopted a few weeks ago and I'm sure he's being returned because he cries at night. #960 was adopted last weekend and after a week of trying to work it out, the older dog still doesn't like her.

This week's most interesting email:

Subject: Silky Terriers

We have (2) 13 week old silky terriers, AKC> one male one female. I bought them from Pet City for my D/D daughter. They are wonderful and smart, but we now have been asked for an extra 500.00 pet fee to keep them in our condo. I paid near $1200.00 for these 2 puppies. They ideally would go together. Please help us find a premo home for them. I wanted them for my daughter for company, but they are too much work for me.

What she means is that she wants us to help her sell her puppies. Luckily I didn't have to write her back, she sent the email to Kim. (But really, what's another $500 once you've already spent $1200 on them?)

This week I worked on: EVERYTHING! And doing a pretty good job if I do say so myself. With Kim taking time off I'm been handling both of our jobs. I'm looking forward to a nice rest when Kim returns.

The 2011 Foster Puppy Calendar. I compile all of the pictures that our fosters sent throughout the year and pick 13 to go into the calendar. Active volunteers and fosters get it for free. They are available to everyone else for a $10 donation. In the previous years I've picked the cutest pics that fit the required size specs. This year I'm looking for something different. I want a calendar that says "See how much fun you can have fostering for CPR?" If you do have an undeniable urge to foster after seeing the '11 calendar, you can email Renee at foster@coloradopuppy.org.

I ordered this year's volunteer appreciation lapel pins and I'm very pleased with them. I also ordered a starter batch of "Proud to be a CPR Foster Failure" T's. Once they come in they'll be available for a $20 donation. Haven't failed at fostering? No big, next week I'm ordering t's that are just as cute for you too.

See ya soon!

The Puppy Run (Brook style)

On Thursdays we drive out to the boonies to pick up puppies from shelters or from other drivers that the shelters sent to meet us half way. We call that trip "The Puppy Run." Kim usually drives the puppy run. She likes to go by herself; it's her "quiet" time. When I drive the last Thursday of the month, I like to take a volunteer with me. I like to show people where we're getting our puppies from. It's a part of the rescue that not everyone gets to see (or wants to.) They see one of our partner shelters, meet the staff and drivers of other rescues and help load pups in the van. Volunteers also help me keep track of the keys because it's well know that I've locked them in the car on puppy runs before. Most volunteers have a great time. It's a 6-8 hour trip so only volunteers that can stand me for long periods of time are invited.



Our Puppy Mobile

 Yesterday I drove the puppy run because Kim is taking some much needed time off. I drove by myself, which turned out okay because I made a puppy run "mixed tape" and brought a book to listen to.
Destination: Noah's Ark Animal Shelter in Trinidad, CO. Three and a half hours south on I-25. I left at about 8:15 so I could get an early start and take my time if it snowed any harder than it already was. Cup of coffee in hand, music blasting, I was on my way. Traffic was no problem and by the time I hit Monument Hill the skies were blue so I was flying. (I've been known to pick up speeding tickets on this trip...not THIS time though!)

While passing through Pueblo, I saw a large Veterans Day festival. There were tents up and convoys and it looked like all kinds of fun. Since I was running early I stopped for some food and to check it out. This is one of the best parts of the puppy run. Kim often stops at various farmers markets on the sides of the road. It's fun to see what the towns have going on and bring home great snacks too. I bought a burrito from a guy in a van, listened to some bands play then I was back on the road.

I pulled into the dirt driveway at Noah's Ark around 11:35am. That's where I met Pat. She is one of five volunteers that transports puppies to a meeting place for us because CPR can not drive to all of our partner shelters and rescues every week. They are just too spread out.  Pat picks up puppies from rescues and shelters in the Taos and surrounding areas and drives them up to Trinidad or one of our other meeting spots and she does all of this on her own dime. She is a volunteer. Over the years that we have worked with Pat, through CPR and Lifeline, she has transported well over a thousand puppies to us from kill shelters. She has saved their lives.

A stray at the Taos Pueblo where
some of our puppies are from.

Pat brought 14 puppies with her. They are so cute! Three are from the Taos Pueblo. There were seven in the litter but when Pat went to pick them up yesterday morning four of them were missing. This means that they'll probably turn up soon and we'll get them in a few weeks. Five of the puppies are chunkers. They weigh 6-8 lbs and when we got them home we saw that most of them didn't have their teeth yet. They are too young to go up for adoption this week and they'll have to stay in foster homes for at least another week. After giving all of her puppies a look over and finding a crate to put them in for the ride, Pat was ready to go and I was ready to see if Noah's Ark had pups to send with me.

Noah's Ark Animal Shelter is kind of hard to find if you don't know where to look. It's a small older building that is waiting for enough funds for a good fix-up. There is a small staff with big hearts. All of the animals there are taken care of and given a chance. Like most shelters in Colorado, they sometimes need to euthanize for space. That however, is a last resort. They will do everything they can to adopt and transfer their animals to keep from needing to euthanize. That is why they need our help. 

Yesterday I noticed that there were not many dogs. Noah's Ark had five puppies to send with me. All of them were 3-4 months old and on the larger side. The puppies were in an outside run that was in the middle of being hosed down when I arrived.  All five puppies were soaked and after picking them up and hauling them to the van, I was soaked too. Brrrrrr! I was sure I had ice crystals on my jeans. I turned on the van and cranked the heat. I tried to put the puppies by the vents so they could air dry a bit. Then I took pictures of all of the puppies to post on Facebook. I think it's fun to show everyone a preview of what's about to arrive.

The ride home was pretty uneventful. I pulled over twice for carsick-clean-ups. I arrived home around 3:30 to a house full of volunteers ready for puppy intake... which is a story for another time.

See ya next week!

Guest Blog: Why Christy Volunteers for CPR

I'd like to introduce Christy, a volunteer for Colorado Puppy Rescue. She works full-time and volunteers with CPR when she has time. Christy wrote this for me about two years ago and I'd like to re-post. Thank you Christy, for sharing your CPR experience.



Christy's Puppy Sammie

 About a year ago, I dragged my son and husband to a Colorado Puppy Rescue (CPR) adoption event at Petco on Mississippi. I actually left my mother's 75th birthday party early so I could adopt a puppy. I arrived right at closing time and fell in love with "Big Girl". She had a "nipping" problem so it had been difficult finding a good home for her. OK so she is a heeler and she nipped more than your heels - but I fell in love with her. She will now nip at my pant leg or shirtsleeve and pull it when she feels she has not gotten the attention that she deserves, but to me that is endearing.

About a month, after we got our puppy I was looking for a volunteer opportunity for my son, something where he could get involved in the community and stay busy.

In my search on the web, I found a volunteer opportunity for him at Colorado Puppy Rescue. I signed him up and went with him to the volunteer orientation. I dropped him off for intake later that week and picked him up when he called and said he was done. The next week he came out the car and asked if I could come in and help, because they were short handed. It was probably a lie, but they got me in the door and I was hooked.

When I first started volunteering my husband gave me a hard time about the time I spent with the puppies, but now he knows that a little time at CPR makes me a much better person. I am a working mother in a high stress corporate job, but all week long, I look forward to Thursday nights. I make sure no one can schedule a meeting with me after 3:00 so I can leave on time. As soon as I pick up that first puppy I can feel the stress just melt away. There is no way that I can stay mad when holding a cute innocent puppy. It is not all fun and games, there are still messes to clean up, baths to give and crates to clean, but for all of that the payment is puppy time. The most treasured part of intake is after the initial rush, when we sit down and get to know the other volunteers. I feel such camaraderie with this group of people and have made so many new friends over the last year. Sometimes we are lucky enough to have some wine and extra puppy time too.

Sometimes I am able to foster, this is a special occasion because when I foster I want to dedicate every minute to watching the puppy. I cannot get any work done; I am too engrossed in watching the puppies every first. Sometimes I see them use stairs for the first time, touch grass for the first time, use the doggy door for the first time, play with older dogs for the first time and bark for the first time.

Just watching a puppy makes me smile.

Saturday is adoption day, when the sweet innocent puppies find their new families. Saturday is also a day when I find more companionship with the other volunteers.
People who love dogs make great friends.

If you have a story or pictures to share of your Colorado Puppy Rescue puppy send an email to info@coloradopuppy.org.